All one
I was ready to shut down for the night. Tucked in. Lights out. It was late.I took one last peek at my Pinterest account before turning off my lap top. But if you're anything like me, one last peek can easily turn in to a twenty-minute time suck, navigating through the mazes of the World Wide Web.If you don't know what Pinterest is, I'll try to explain:Pinterest is an online cork-board, where you can post (or "pin") links to blogs, articles, videos, food recipes, or anything else you can find on-line. There are brilliant ideas (who knew about all those ways you could use a binder clip?), gorgeous photographs of dream vacations, and countless designing ideas, from home decor, to crafty projects you can do with your kids.Everything you "pin" is by way of a photograph. So if you pin this post, for instance, the photo (above) of the woman on a park bench would appear on your board. People click on the "pin" (photo) - and poof! You are redirected to my blog. Similar to Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is another tool in social media to promote your blog (or artwork, or business, etc).Okay, so back to last night, where I thought I was shutting down, until I was quickly distracted by someone's "pin" (photo).The picture was of a young boy, gazing out a window, and the caption read "Being alone." I was intrigued, so I clicked on the photo. After being redirected to a fabulous blog written by designer and mother of six, Gabrielle Blair, I checked out her post about how marvelous it was for her to go to movie - all by herself. Have I mentioned she's a mother of six? What a treat!The post goes on about how her kids were amazed she would do anything social on her own. She then asks her readers if they ever seek alone time. A fantastic question for all - whether you're single, married, with kids, or not - it's an interesting dialogue. It sheds light on how people feel about being alone - does it necessarily mean they're lonely? Does it make them sad, or are they just people who feel comfortable in being alone with themselves?The timing of my online discovery last night was perfect, because this week, I'm embarking on an Open Call essay about what it's like to be a single, middle-aged woman. My goal is to have my essay catch the editor's attention and the piece will be featured on Salon - just like my piece about my sister was posted last week.Regardless if my essay gets picked up, I have a feeling that just writing this will be good for me. It'll cause me to trace my path, look at the choices I've made with past relationships, and really be truthful about where I am now, and where I want to be.I once heard that the word "alone" could be thought of as "all one" - that when we're alone, we have an opportunity to really connect with ourselves in such a way that cannot be done otherwise.At the end of Gabrielle's post, was a brilliant video by poet, Tanya Davis.Rarely do I stumble across something online, half asleep, that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. After viewing this remarkable video for the second time in a row, my eyes welled up with tears.What a delicious reminder for all of us:
Being alone can be a beautiful thing - a blessing - a gift to ourselves.
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"If you're happy in your head then solitude is blessed, and Alone is okay." - Tanya Davis
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Here's the part where you tell me - how do you feel about Alone Time? Are you ever alone - do you wish you could be more - or, if you're currently single, are you happy being on your own right now?
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